Can opening hand punch



July 17, 1956 c. R. KLOK 2,754,582

CAN OPENING HAND PUNCH Filed June 9, 1953 YINVENTOR. 61424 2 K4 0K AMAAJWMJQ CAN OPENING HAND PUNCH Carl R. Klok, Stevens Lake, Wis.

Application June 9, 1953, Serial No. 360,423

1 Claim. (CI. 30-16) This invention relates to a can opening hand punch.

This application is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 226,130 filed May 14, 1951, of the same title, and now abandoned.

The invention seeks to provide a punch of the lever type which, with minimum effort, will cut through the top of a can to provide a dispensing opening having margins converging toward the can bead to facilitate pouring. T he device is characterized by the complete absence of the usual sharp and dangerous pointed die. The fulcrum hook which engages the bead and the die which cuts through the can top are both blunt and incapable of cutting the person or clothing of the user and are directed toward each other for further protection. The tool may, therefore, be handled with perfect safety and carried in the pocket without injuring clothing.

The tool may be formed from a piece of metal of uniform width, the handle tapering in width toward the fulcrum end of the tool and the re-enforcing flanges which form the punch or die being correspondingly increased. The flanges are bent downwardly on converging fold lines not only to render the overall width uniform but to cut in the can top an opening which progressively widens inwardly from the point of initial penetration near the chine.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary inverted plan view of the device of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the device of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a front end elevation of the device of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the device of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a view showing the tool of Fig. 1 applied to a can preliminary to the opening of the can, the tool appearing in side elevation and the can in transverse section.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing the completion of the opening operation.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of the can top showing the type of opening made by the tool of Fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary plan view of the head end of the tool of Fig. 1 prior to forming the hooks and arms thereof.

The device may conveniently be formed from a metal strip from one end of which lateral openings 33 are cut as shown in Fig. 9. The laterally projecting side margins of the strip may then be folded inwardly and along the rearwardly diverging fold lines 36 to provide dual reversely curved hooks 34 and dual cutting dies 35. In the finished tool the fold lines 36 constitute forwardly converging sides of the tool. While the hooks 34 are folded at substantially a right angle to the plane of the strip, the dies 35 are desirably folded through an angle slightly nited States Patent 0 "ice greater than to the plane of the strip to converge downwardly as well as forwardly as is best shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

The portion 38 of the strip 32 between the converging crease lines 36 is then desirably bent upwardly to join the handle portion 32 of the tool on the curve best shown in Fig. 5. Thus in operating the tool the dies 35 engage the can top 39 with the handle 32 in a substantially upright position as shown in Fig. 6. When the tool is oscillated downwardly about the point of engagement of its hooks 34 with the rim 40 of the can the forwardly directed points 41 of the dies will pierce the can top at spaced points 42 (see Fig. 8). Continued downward movement of the handle will sever the can top along rearwardly diverging lines 43 corresponding to the rearward divergence of the dies 35. The curve 44 in the dies 35 near the junction of portions 38 and 32 of the handle acts as a cam in curling the cut portion 45 of the can top inwardly and rearwardly as shown in Fig. 7.

The forward edges of the dies 35 combine to constitute a relatively blunt terminal die end which will not inflict injury on the person or clothing of the user. The dies 35 and hooks 34, being oppositely directed, act as guards for each other. Likewise the crown cap remover 47 presents no harmful points or edges and does not mar the otherwise smooth sides of the handle.

The device will produce pouring apertures having forwardly converging side margins. Thus liquid may be poured from the can smoothly and in a solid stream which does not waver.

I claim:

A cutting tool for cutting a dispensing opening in the top of a can provided with a marginal bead, said tool comprising a plate constituting a handle and having an integral portion constituting a bead-engaging hook oflset from the plate and directed therebeneath, said plate being provided with integral depending flanges convergent toward said hook and terminating handle reenforcing in closely spaced relation thereto, the ends of said flanges being in close proximity to each other at the point of termination and said ends and the lower margins of said flanges constituting can top cutting means adapted to be forced through a can top by pressure on said plate when said hook is engaged with a can bead, the divergence of said flanges from their proximate ends being adapted to sever a blunt V-shaped tongue from the can top and force it into the can when the plate is subjected to downward pressure, the said flanges increasing in width and the intervening portion of the handle plate decreasing in width progressively away from the said flange ends and having a combined width which is substantially uniform.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,055,865 Hopkins Sept. 29, 1936 2,072,103 Ewald Mar. 3, 1937 2,122,830 Acker July 5, 1938 2,238,178 McCoy Apr. 15, 1941 2,255,894 Ormond Sept. 16, 1941 2,517,442 Ransom Aug. 1, 1950 2,599,551 Hagen June 10, 1952 2,609,600 Husted Sept. 9, 1952 2,691,215 Grady Oct. 12, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 134,235 Austria July 25, 1933 

